Rain, I Don't Mind
by onceuponajollyroger
Summary: Five rainy days over the course of almost two decades change the lives of Emma Swan and Killian Jones forever. A Captain Swan Modern AU.


_**6**__**th**__** Grade**_

Emma stood at the bus stop shivering from the cold rain pelting her body. Her new foster parents had left for work early that morning without so much as a "goodbye" or "good luck on your first day," so Emma was left to scrounge up her own breakfast. When she noticed it was raining outside, she searched the house for an umbrella, but turned up empty-handed. Part of her was hoping the bus would arrive soon, giving her a reprieve from the cold drops, another part though hoped it would never come.

Emma missed Maine, and she desperately wanted to go back. Her foster parents there were no better than these new ones. Still, she had been used to her life there. She had friends at school, she knew her teachers and neighbors, and she felt comfortable in the small town. Boston was large, foreign and frightening. To make matters worse, she knew absolutely no one in the whole city. Emma did not want to be the new kid _again_. She knew what that entailed and was not looking forward to eating lunch alone, sitting awkwardly at the back of the class, and going completely unnoticed in the hallways.

Her hopes of the bus not showing were dashed when she caught sight of the bright, yellow vehicle coming to collect her. After a minute, the bus rolled up in front of her and halted with a loud screech. The glass doors burst open, beckoning Emma inside. She took a deep breath, forcing her feet to move forward, even though she wished to be anywhere but here right now. Emma boarded the bus, gripping the cold, metal railing tightly so she wouldn't slip on the wet, black steps. The bus was noisy with the laughter and chatter of students; however, once Emma made her appearance at the front, all students quieted and all eyes shot to her as they studied the new student.

Emma stood beside the cranky-looking bus driver as she took in the bus before her. Most students had already gotten on, so Emma couldn't spot any empty, _safe_, seats: ones where she could easily go unnoticed. Emma began to walk down the aisle slowly, turning her head left and right to try to find a seat. She stopped in front of a seat occupied by one girl, but with space for another. Emma made to put her tattered book bag down, but froze when the girl quickly moved her own bag into the seat. "No way," she said with a biting glare as she appraised Emma. "Ever heard of an umbrella?" she snickered as her friends laughed loudly around her.

Emma's face shot to the dirty floor of the bus, trying not to get upset, when she heard a soft, male voice break through the laughter. "This seat isn't taken."

Emma looked up to see a boy sitting by himself a few rows back. She stared for just a minute, taking in his features. He was quite skinny, had tousled black hair, ears that he hadn't quite grown into, and large, metal braces. She quickly walked past the nasty girls and hesitantly took her place beside him. The bus started moving as they sat in silence for a few minutes. The boy looked over at her with a gentle smile before interrupting their silence. "Don't mind those snotty girls; they're just mean because they secretly hate themselves. That one who was rude to you, her name's Abigail. She threw up in gym class once in fourth grade right on the teacher's shoes. It was hilarious," he said as he peered at her, obviously hoping for a reaction.

Emma let out a chuckle and looked up to meet his face. She was taken back by his striking blue eyes. "There we are. That's a lovely smile you've got there. My name's Killian."

"Emma," she responded. "Emma Swan."

He shook his head, as if he was approving her name. "Emma, it's nice to meet you."

They chatted idly on the bus for the remainder of the ride. Mostly it was Killian who made conversation. He told Emma all about his brother Liam. He talked about sailing and school. He was doing his English project on piracy throughout the ages and was quite passionate about the topic. Killian asked Emma lots of questions about where she had come from. He'd never been to Maine, but wanted to visit someday. She aptly avoided the matter of foster parents or parents in general. She could tell he noticed, but was thankful that he didn't press the subject.

* * *

They had two classes together during that morning. Emma was grateful to have a friend nearby when she had to go up to the front of the room and introduce herself. Why did teachers make students do that anyway? Didn't they know how horribly embarrassing it was? At least Emma could look out and focus on Killian's face as she attempted to ignore the mean girls from the bus who were unfortunately also in her class.

When lunch rolled around, Emma walked around the cafeteria, attempting to appear calm, but she was truly cringing on the inside. She needed to find an empty table to sit at and she needed to look alright with eating alone. All the tables seemed taken, and she was beginning to panic when a familiar voice interrupted her raging thoughts.

"You look a little lost, Emma. Come on," Killian said as he approached her side.

Emma had no idea why this boy was being so kind to her; no one had ever been so welcoming right off the bat, but she wasn't going to question it right now. She followed Killian through the crowded lunch room until she found herself standing at a small, circular table occupied by two other people.

"Tina complains about being the only girl, so really, you're doing us a favor," Killian said as he gestured at the table.

Tina, the girl he was referring to, was a petite blonde with a cute face and light green eyes that complimented her green dress quite well. A somewhat overweight boy with curly brown hair and a red beanie on his head sat beside her. Killian went about making introductions before nodding for Emma to sit.

By the end of lunch, the four were laughing and joking as if they were all old friends. Emma didn't feel awkward or _new_ at all. An older teacher who appeared to have a permanent frown came over and interrupted their fun. "Billy, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, keep that hat off your head when you're in the building," she scolded as she shook a finger in his direction.

Billy's face turned a bright shade a red, one that matched his hat almost perfectly, as he sheepishly pulled it from his head. Killian, Tina, and Emma all brought their hands to their mouths, fighting to suppress their impending giggles. When the teacher finally left the foursome, they all burst out in laughter and teased Billy for the remainder of lunch.

Emma's next few classes went off without problems. Tina was in one of them, and Billy was in another, so she only sat alone during her last class. Emma was incredibly grateful to have met nice, welcoming people on her first day. She could really see herself becoming friends with them too, which made her feel much better about the move.

* * *

Emma sat next to Killian on the bus ride home. The rain had died out during their day at school, so now it was only drizzling lightly.

"You handled your first day as the new kid quite well. I didn't when I first moved here," Killian said once they were settled into their seats.

Emma's eyebrows furrowed. From the way Killian talked about his fellow students and interacted with them, Emma hadn't suspected he had ever lived elsewhere. "When did you move here?" she asked.

"Third grade," he replied before he continued in a low murmur. "My parents died in a car crash, so my brother moved us here for a fresh start."

Emma was quiet for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Now was the part in a conversation where someone offered their sympathies, but those were just empty words. No one knew that better than Emma. "I moved here because I got new foster parents," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Previously, Emma had no plan of divulging that to Killian: it was personal and intimate. But, he had just opened up to her, and even though she had only known this boy for a day, her gut told her to trust him.

Killian shook his head sadly before giving Emma a look of understanding. "So, I guess we're both orphans then?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she replied quietly.

They were silent after that, both attempting to tread carefully around the painful subject.

"It's nice though," Killian chimed, finally breaking their silence.

"What?" Emma asked in a confused tone. What could possibly be funny about being an orphan?

He tilted his head forward, gesturing towards her, "Finding a kindred spirit, someone who understands."

Emma didn't respond back; she didn't know what to say, so she just stared ahead at the brown leather of the bus seat in front of her. Killian was right though; it was a nice feeling to have someone at school who understood what she was going through.

Emma didn't want to go back to Maine anymore.

* * *

_**12**__**th**__** Grade**_

Prom was a few weeks away, and Emma was counting down the days until it was past. All Tina did was talk Emma's ear off about prom. Dresses, limos, dates, corsages, fancy dinners, etc. Emma was sick of it. She understood her friend's excitement: aside from her wedding day, prom was a girl's chance to get dolled up and feel like a princess. Emma didn't fancy herself as a princess, far from it in fact, and she had no plans whatsoever of attending prom. She couldn't tell Tina that though, her friend would absolutely blow a fuse.

At least now that the school day was over and Emma was safely away from her passionate friend, she could have a reprieve from the whole prom business. Emma sat at the Jones' kitchen table across from Killian as they worked quietly on their homework like they did every day after school. Liam burst through the kitchen door slapping Killian hard on the back and saying a cheerful hello to Emma. Over the years since they had met, Emma had not only befriended Killian, but his older brother too. She always felt welcomed and at home in the Jones residence.

"Emma, I see no beverage at your side. Tsk tsk. Baby brother has been a bad host again," Liam said teasingly as he appraised the two.

Killian gave him an annoyed glare as he retorted. "Liam, she's here every day. Emma knows she has free range of the fridge." He let out a huff before turning his gaze to Emma, eyebrow raised slightly as if asking her to step up and defend him.

Liam rolled his eyes before letting out a jovial laugh and whipping up some hot chocolate for Emma. "Your favorite, milady," he said as he plopped it down in front of her.

Killian jumped to his feet and grabbed a small container from the pantry before returning and placing it next to the hot chocolate. "You forgot cinnamon," he said, clearly eager for the opportunity to chastise his brother right back.

"Aye, my apologies miss," Liam answered with a gleam.

Emma stared back and forth between the two of them, growing more suspicious by the minute. "You two are up to something. What's going on?"

"Nothing"-"Not a thing, lass, just being hospitable," they chimed in unison, only confirming Emma's fears.

Liam bowed his head to her and went to leave the kitchen. When he made it to the door though, he turned back and gave Killian pointed look. "Don't you chicken out, brother."

"Liam," Killian let out between gritted teeth as he watched his brother disappear from sight. Killian stared down at the table in embarrassment before he finally looked up to meet Emma's eyes.

She shook her head and let out a huff. "Spill it, Jones."

Killian coughed slightly into his hand, clearing his throat before speaking. Emma groaned. He only did that when he was about to say something he knew she wouldn't like.

Killian took a deep breath before he began in a too steady, unnatural voice, "Emma, as Tina has informed you daily for months now, prom is a few weeks away. I would be delighted if you would accompany me as my date."

Emma bit her lip trying to repress her giggles. "My, Killian, that was beautifully rehearsed," she said as a stray chuckle left her lips.

Killian's cheeks coated with a deep shade of red as he scratched behind his ear. Emma loved it when he did that. "Listen, lass, I know you're not the prom type, but it's a rite of passage. We would just go as friends," he looked off into the direction behind her, unwilling to make direct eye contact as he continued in a whisper. "I'd really like to go with you."

Emma stayed quiet for a long time, fidgeting with her hands uncomfortably. Prom would be fun, she knew that, but a good night wasn't what worried her. Prom was a notoriously expensive event. If she went, she would have to buy a fancy dress, get shoes and a purse to go with it, probably a corsage too. Tina and Billy mentioned going out to eat beforehand, which would be an added cost. Occasionally, Emma was given some money from her foster parents, but that was typically only when it was desperately needed for school. They wouldn't chip in from prom. No way.

"Emma," Killian said quietly, interrupting her thoughts. "Say yes. Please. I promise it'll be fun."

Emma let out a sigh as she stared at Killian. He was giving her _that_ look. The one that made him look like a stupidly attractive yet adorable puppy. She couldn't say no.

"Fine, I'll go." Killian's face lit up at the news. "But," she said, watching as his face fell slightly with caution, "I'd have to get a dress," she finished quietly, a hint of worry in her voice.

Killian nodded his head in understanding. One of the best parts of Emma's friendship with Killian was that she didn't have to explain herself or her feelings to him. He just understood her. _It's nice, finding a kindred spirit_, he had told her years ago, and how right he had been. "Let's go dress shopping tomorrow then: you, me, and Tina," he said with a soft smile.

Emma's mouth dropped slightly at his suggestion. "_You_ want to go dress shopping? Killian, you're going to hate dress shopping. _I'm_ going to hate dress shopping."

"Well, I'm your friend, and I will go dress shopping to support you. Alright? End of discussion," he said sternly, reminding her of Liam for a moment, before he turned his attention back to his homework. Emma gave him a small smile, one of surprise and gratitude, before turning back to her own work.

* * *

"Emma, you just have to get this one. It's absolutely perfect," Tina cried in excitement, loud enough for Killian to hear outside the dressing room.

"Come out, lass. I want to see it," he yelled back.

Emma looked at herself sadly in the mirror. The dress was absolutely perfect. It was sky blue, which complimented her blonde hair beautifully. The dress had a halter top, keeping Emma comfortably covered, and fell loosely to the floor, making it easy for her to walk. For a girl who never wanted to be a princess, this stunning dress was starting to change her outlook, but it was way too expensive. Emma worked part-time, mostly on weekends, and saved up a bit, but she certainly didn't have much money. There was no way she could afford this gown. She felt her eyes burning with unshed tears at the stress of the situation. Why was she doing any of this? Prom was going to be way too much money. As helpful as Tina was trying to be, all she did was pull expensive dresses off the rack and force Emma into them. Emma took a deep breathe a screwed her eyes shut, refusing to let her exterior break.

Emma heard the lock slide open as Tina grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the dressing room. Emma's emotions threatened to spill over, but she felt a wave of calm spread over her as she took in Killian's face. When he caught sight of her dress his mouth fell open and a bright smile spread across his face.

Killian clapped his hands together and jumped up from the couch he had been occupying. "Wow. Emma. Wow," he said as he let out a deep breath. "Yeah, that's definitely the one. Brilliant work, Tina," he said, a twinkle in his eye as he smiled at both of them. He still had that silly, overwhelmed look on his face that filled Emma with a confusing sense of embarrassment, pride, happiness, and longingly. _No_, not longing, she did _not_ long for Killian. He was just her friend.

Emma stepped out and looked herself over in the full-length mirror as Tina dashed off to grab a dress for herself to try. Killian stepped up to join Emma, reaching for the price tag hanging off the dress' side _$254.99_.

Emma turned to face Killian. Her eyebrows knitted together as a deep frown overtook her face. "There's absolutely no way I can afford this dress, Killian. You have to tell Tina it looks bad."

Killian tilted his head to the side slightly as he reached up to touch the fabric at her torso. Chills ran through her body, but he didn't seem to notice, or even notice his own stray hand. "Emma, you look beautiful. Don't worry about the dress, lass. Liam and I talked about that before I even asked you to prom."

Emma gaped at him. Liam and Killian weren't well off, far from it. Liam worked two jobs and Killian worked part-time to help make ends meet. They couldn't afford the dress any more than she could.

"Killian, no. Don't even think about it," she replied sternly

"I'm not thinking about it. My mind was made up before we came here. This is the dress, and we're getting it. _I_ want to get it for you. _Liam_ wants to get it for you."

Emma stared down at her shoes and bit her bottom lip hard as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. She was happy, but also felt a sense of guilt and shame all at the same time. Killian brushed his thumb against her cheek, gently wiping away the tear before wrapping his arms around her. Emma allowed him to hug her, reveling in the comfortable feeling of being held by him as she rested her head against his shoulder. This whole prom business was an emotional rollercoaster. She let out a sigh against his shoulder. She may not have parents, or siblings, or a nice home, but she had Killian. That was more than enough.

"Ehem," Tina coughed as she walked up to the two carrying a bright, sparkly, green dress in her hands. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked, a teasing grin forming on her face.

Emma and Killian broke apart immediately, stepping far away from each other as they simultaneously spouted excuses for the scene. Before Tina could continue, Killian adeptly changed the topic to the dress she held, which Tina was more than happy to gush over.

* * *

Tina continued to plan out every minute detail of their prom night over the next two weeks. Billy would be her date, though they too were only going as friends. At one point, Tina yapped animatedly about renting a limo for the night. A panicked Emma sent Killian a look of terror, before he quickly shot Tina down, insisting they drive themselves. To compromise, the group agreed to eat out to celebrate prom, but they agreed to a modest-priced restaurant.

Emma and Tina met up at Tina's house earlier in the day to get dressed and do their hair and makeup. Tina insisted on braiding Emma's hair in a stylish fishtail that fell to her left shoulder. It was a cute, but casual, style which went perfectly with the feel of her dress. Tina put her hair up in a high ponytail with curls falling to the sides: a fun look to match her bright, forest green dress.

The boys arrived at Tina's house before dinner to take photos for the evening. Tina and Bill's parents along with Liam were on site to take pictures of the foursome.

"Come on, Liam, we have enough already," Killian wined after his brother snapped another picture. Seriously, all the pictures were going to look the same.

"Hush. Now, all of you, go stand in front of that tree," Liam directed, walking over to get ready for the shot.

"Oh, wonderful idea!" Tina's overly enthusiastic mother cried. Emma understood where Tina got her excitement from.

After an already long day full of preparation and pictures and a delicious dinner that Killian insisted on paying for, much to Emma's dismay, the four finally arrived at the venue of their senior prom.

They had an evening full of fun, laughter, and dancing. Emma couldn't decide if Killian was an incredibly bad dancer or a very good one. She settled on labeling his dance style as _unique_. Emma spent the entire night attached at the hip to Killian. Tina went back and forth between the two of them and another group of her friends on the other side of the ballroom where their prom was being held. Billy followed her around, unsure of where he was really supposed to be. Despite all of her fuss earlier, Emma was so happy Killian asked her to come. She was wearing a beautiful dress, dancing with a great guy, and laughing with her friends. This was chalking up to be one of the best nights of her life.

Emma and Killian were dancing to a fast-paced song, nearly working up a sweat, when the melody stopped for a bit. They caught their breath and laughed before another song started playing, this time a slow song. It was the first slow song of the evening and it took them both by surprise. Emma and Killian froze, staring questioningly at each other before Emma broke the awkwardness and approached Killian. She wrapped her hands around his neck, biting her lip nervously and nodding at him until he placed his hands gently on her waist, barely applying any pressure. He was clearly nervous about their contact.

Emma stared up into Killian's eyes, his blue eyes, eyes as blue and endless as the ocean. They began to sway slowly to the music, becoming more comfortable with their intimate proximity as the song progressed. Emma felt so warm, so right, in his arms. She was overcome with a sense of great happiness at the thought that after everything she had been through in her life she was here dancing with a kind guy who cared for her and helped her and understood her. Before Emma even realized what she was doing, her body acted of its own accord and shot her up on her tiptoes, bringing her face to face with Killian. She closed her eyes, leaned forward, and placed her lips gently against his, instantly feeling overwhelmed by the warm, soft feel of his lips against hers. She reached her hand up and pulled his head down, fusing their lips more tightly as she gently ran fingers through his soft, dark hair. Killian stayed frozen for a fraction of a second before pulling Emma to him tightly by the waist and titling his head to meet the kiss with a fervor she certainly hadn't expected from her shy, sensitive friend. The music seemed to fade away from the background. All Emma could hear was the rush of blood thrumming through her ears. She got lost in the kiss, in the feel of him holding her, his soft lips against hers.

Emma was lost in thought before her eyes burst open in horror when she realized that she was there in the middle of her prom dance floor _kissing_ her best friend. She felt so good, but she pushed those feelings down and those thoughts far from her mind. This was _Killian_, the only good person she ever had in her life. She wasn't going to screw their friendship up with romance. She placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back as she pulled away from him, looking at him with sheer panic before turning on her heel and rushing from the ballroom. Emma ran through the ballroom doors, she could hear the sound of her fellow classmates laughing, dancing and having fun mixed with yells from Killian for her to stop. She continued running, rushing through the lobby until she was finally out of the building. Once outside, she was met with the cold stinging feel of rain against her skin. Great. It was absolutely pouring, promising to ruin her beautiful hair and makeup and soak her expensive dress, but Emma just couldn't go back inside.

She began to race through the parking lot, but stopped when she nearly face planted after sliding in her soaked shoes. Emma tried to wrestle off the pesky heels and keep going, but her pause had given Killian the chance to catch up with her.

Killian ran up to her and reached out to grab her, but she pulled away defensively. He held up his hands in surrender when she flinched away and carefully met her gaze. She was sobbing now, but she hoped he would mistake her tears for raindrops. "Emma, Emma, it's ok. You don't have to run. Please don't run from me," Killian said, hurt written all over his face.

Emma straightened up, abandoning her attempt to get off her shoes, and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to both comfort and warm herself. "Don't apologize. I'm the one who started it. I'm sorry, Killian. I just…I can't be here right now," Emma replied feebly as she stared at the black pavement below them, refusing to make eye contact.

"Lass, it's pouring. Can we at least move this conversation to the car?" he asked. Emma looked him over, taking in his soaked suit and flattened hair as raindrops fell from the tips of his raven locks.

She gave him a small, nearly imperceptible nod, before he took her arm and helped her to the truck Liam had lent Killian for the evening.

Once they were seated in the old truck, Killian and Emma sat in silence as they tried to dry off and warm themselves. After a few awkward minutes, Killian finally broke the ice. "It's ok, Emma. We don't have to talk about it. We can pretend like it didn't happen if you want. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose you over a kiss."

Emma was quiet for a moment before she reached over to grab his hand. She squeezed it tightly and smiled before looking over at him. "You're a good friend, Killian. I don't deserve you."

Killian rubbed his thumb over Emma's wet hand and noticed her shiver. He took off his coat and offered it to her. "I don't know if this will do any good, considering it's soaked, but it might help a little. Do you want to go home now?" he asked shyly as he reached up to scratch behind his ear.

Emma loved that little quirk. She always knew he was nervous when he scratched behind his ear. "No, let's stay here like this for a little while."

They sat in the car for a long time, holding hands and listening to the rain drops plop against the windshield. They talked about graduation, their jobs, the weather, college, everything and nothing all at once. Emma was glad she went to prom.

* * *

_**Freshman Year**_

For the first time in her life Emma was thankful for only having a few belongings. Of course on the day when hundreds of freshmen would be moving their bedding, mini fridges, microwaves, TVs, bed stands, this and that into their dorms, it would be pouring rain outside. Emma easily moved her few boxes into the small space and started arranging her possessions.

After a while, Emma was joined by her new roommate: a sweet, dark-haired girl named Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret's parents helped moved their daughter into the building and settle her into the room before they took both girls out to lunch. Emma was surprised to be invited, but couldn't say no to such kind people. Even though Emma had only known Mary Margaret for a few hours, she could already tell they would be great friends.

Mary Margaret had a difficult time when her parents finally left. They lived a few hours away, and it was Mary Margaret's first time apart from them. Emma wasn't exactly sure how to comfort her new friend; it wasn't like Emma had parents to miss herself, but she thought the best way to cheer the girl up would be by decorating their new room. Emma turned on her music and set about helping Mary Margaret spruce up her side of the room. They started by hanging the various posters Mary Margaret had brought.

Emma and Mary Margaret continued to get to know each other as they decorated their new home until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Emma pulled open the creaky, wooden door to see Killian standing there, shirt and hair still wet. "Liam left didn't he?" she asked.

"How did you know?" he responded with a perplexed expression.

"You look sad."

Killian mouth fell open as he jumped to defend himself, "I'm not, I just-"

"It's ok. He's still in the same city; he'll be here to visit all the time," she replied with a kind smile as she placed a reassuring arm on his shoulder. Though Boston University was on the other side of the city from Liam, he still wasn't too far away. Knowing Killian's older brother, he would probably visit more often than Killian even wanted.

Killian looked down at his feet and was quiet for a minute. Then he perked up and nudged Emma playfully in the side, giving her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Emma."

She nodded back at him before changing the subject. "Have you met your roommate yet?"

With the mention of his roommate, Killian seemed to forget his momentary sadness. "Yeah, his name is Victor. He's cool, and his girlfriend stopped by. Her name is Ruby; I think you'll like her. Want to come see my room? I'm on the floor above you!" he said in a chipper voice. When Emma and Killian had received their housing assignments and noted that they were in the same building, they were both relieved and excited.

Emma followed Killian upstairs and met Victor. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Killian's room was the same size as Emma's but looked much smaller due to the clutter. They had been there for hours and hadn't unpacked or organized a thing. Emma rolled her eyes at the sight. Guys.

"Come on. Let's go look around campus and find where our classes will be," Killian said as he tugged on her arm.

"Killian, are you crazy? It's pouring outside," she said exasperated.

Killian gave her a playful smirk before leaning in to whisper into her ear. His hot breath against Emma's ear made the hairs on her skin stand as she felt a tight pull low in her belly. "Well, Emma, I know something you don't know. There's been a new invention recently. You must not have heard of it: the umbrella," he chimed as he produced two from a box sitting next to him on the floor.

Emma glared at him, snapping out of her momentary stun to give him a hard shove against the shoulder. "You're not funny, _Jones_," she bit as she yanked an umbrella from his hands.

* * *

As they walked around the part of the city where Boston University was located, Emma only began to grow more nervous about college. This section of the city was unknown to her. All the buildings looked large and foreboding. She knew she was going to get lost on the first day of classes; she just knew it.

The two strolled around the city before Killian noticed the change in her mood. He jumped in a puddle, splashing her new jeans with dirty water to get a rise from her. If looks could kill, Emma's face would have caused Killian to drop dead. She was fuming, her entire body growing red with anger.

"What is it with you today?" she spat as she retaliated by kicking a large puddle at him. The water shot up, leaving Killian with a dark stain right at the crotch of his pants.

Killian stared down angrily at his pants for a minute before his expression turned devilish. "You're going to pay for that, _Swan_."

Emma took off at a run but was quickly caught by Killian. He wrapped his arms around her as he kicked his feet to splash her. Emma closed her umbrella and used it to smack him, trying to get him away. Killian let out a groan before copying her actions and hitting her back softly with his own umbrella.

They continued to kick puddles at each other and engaged in a mock sword battle with their umbrellas garnering them stares and reprimanding looks from passing strangers. They didn't care though; they were having too much fun. Killian tried to impress Emma with a flashy twirl during their battle, but only managed to slip in a puddle and fall right on his backside. Emma and Killian laughed until they were both red and crying, clutching their pained stomachs. They were both completely soaked when they finally gave up their game. Killian threw his arm casually around Emma's shoulder as he led them back to their dorm. The sound of their soaked shoes squeaking through the streets left Emma giggling.

Letting out a little steam, even if it had probably cost her a pair of shoes, had been a great way to ease her nerves. Emma was still anxious about college, but she was comforted by the fact that Killian would be there with her, right upstairs, whenever she needed, or _wanted_, him.

* * *

_**Sophomore Year**_

Emma couldn't believe this was happening. Not after their time together and certainly not like this. She stared down at the text on her phone, rereading it over and over again to make sure she didn't misunderstand his message. How could he be breaking up with her and like this of all ways? She thought she was in love with him; she would have done anything for him. She had already done so many things for him that she regretted, and now he was just dropping her with a text message, as if she was nothing.

She threw her phone on the floor and turned to sob into her pillow, attempting to muffle her wails with the soft fabric. One silver lining in this whole miserable ordeal was that Mary Margaret wasn't here to see this. After living together for all of their freshman year and the first part of their sophomore year, Emma and Mary Margaret had become close friends. Still, Emma wasn't comfortable crying in front of her or anyone really.

Emma was so angry with Neal, that ass, but more so she was angry with herself. Neal had talked her into doing things her gut told her not to like spray painting buildings and even stealing from a convenience shop. She risked getting into serious trouble, screwing her life up, and for what, Neal? He wasn't worth it. Why had she been so foolish? God, she even slept with him. Her stomach lurched at the thought, so she quickly pushed it from her mind. She shouldn't have stayed with him. From the start, her gut told her he wasn't a good guy. He was arrogant, rebellious, and controlling. Emma cringed at that. Neal was the jealous type who insisted that she distance herself from old friends, especially male friends. She hadn't even talked to Killian in weeks. _Killian_.

Emma had missed Killian so much. Ever since she met him, he had been the most important person in her life, and the second some attractive, confident guy gave her an ounce of attention, she pushed him off the side. She was so angry with Neal; she was so angry with herself. She needed Killian. She needed to see him and talk to him and touch him and make this right.

Emma leapt from her bed, rushed out of her room, and ran upstairs to the dorm Killian had been occupying for a year and a half now. When Emma was finally standing before his room, she balled her hand into a fist and banged hard against the door. Her hand hurt from the effort, but she paid it no mind. Her only thoughts now were of Killian and her intense need to see him.

The door swung open, leaving Emma was face-to-face with Ruby. She had her long, brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and all she was wearing was one of Victor's oversized tees. Despite obviously having interrupted something, Emma was greeted with a bright smile and a happy jump from Ruby.

"Hey Emma! I haven't seen you in forever. It's good to see-" she stopped midsentence and gave Emma an appraising look. "Emma, you don't look so hot. Are you okay, girl?"

Emma shook her head. She was in no mood for small talk now, even if it was good to see Ruby again. "Where's Killian? I need to talk to Killian _now_," she said, almost in a shout as she fidgeted with her hands frantically.

Ruby gave her a careful look, obviously sensing that Emma was upset. "I think he's out. Hold on," Ruby turned into the room and shouted to Victor. Emma stayed out in the hallway, foot tapping at a mile a minute, arms crossing and uncrossing themselves anxiously across her chest. She felt like everything was crumbling. It was hard to breathe. She felt trapped, like she was about to just collapse and drown in a pool of her own tears. God, it was so hot on this floor. Where was Killian? It was Thursday night: Killian was never out on a weeknight.

"Emma," Ruby said, tearing her from her panicked thoughts. "Killian is at the coffee shop a few blocks from campus: the one on Commonwealth Ave."

Emma rushed away, yelling thanks to Ruby as she rushed down the stairs. Emma jogged to the bus stop, and thankfully only had to wait a few minutes for it to arrive. It was raining, and of course, she left her umbrella inside in her haste to find Killian. Why did it always rain at the most inopportune moments of her life? The bus ride felt like an eternity; she didn't think she could contain herself any longer until it finally stopped where she needed to get off. She made her way into the coffee shop only to spot Killian sitting, smiling, with a girl. Killian was seeing someone. She shouldn't be surprised; he was a kind, smart, attractive guy. Really attractive guy, she thought. He got his braces off in eighth grade, and he finally grew into his ears during the summer between sophomore and junior year of high school. Of course Killian would be seeing someone. Emma had been seeing Neal after all. She had no reason to feel upset, but looking at the scene, seeing Killian sitting with a beautiful brunette, filled her with an enraged jealousy. It was irrational, unfair, and immature, but she didn't care, she just couldn't right now.

Killian looked up and saw a drenched Emma standing in the doorway staring at them. He stood up and called her name, and then his girlfriend, Emma suspected, turned around too. She had beautiful gray eyes and long, curly brown hair. Emma hated her. Emma backed out of the door and ran off down the street, tears falling freely now, unable to be contained. This was the worse night of her life and now she was running down the street, soaking wet and sobbing, like an idiot. She heard Killian yelling behind her, calling for her to stop, but Emma only ran faster. She made it a block before she was halted by a strong pair of arms from behind her. She struggled to break free, but was turned around to come face to face with Killian. "Emma, what the hell is going on?" he said, confusion and mild anger spewing from his voice.

She was exhausted physically and emotionally. She just couldn't keep it in anymore. Emma leaned into his shoulder and wept as she felt Killian wrap his arms around her. Despite being wet from the rain, his arms felt warm and welcoming around her. Killian maneuvered them over to the curb and raised his hand up. Before she knew it, he was ushering her into a cab and giving the driver instructions to return them to their dorm. She sat in the cab next to him quietly. She had cried all she could and now just felt defeated. Killian interrupted the silence, "Looks like you owe me money for a cab."

Emma looked over at him again as her bottom lip quivered, and she burst into another fit of tears. "Oh my god, Emma, I was just joking. I'm an ass. I'm so sorry. I'll pay for the cab, it's ok," he said as he held her by the shoulders and gave her a worried look.

Emma was quiet for a minute before she looked over at him and saw that he was attempting to wipe off the water that fell from his wet hair onto his face. "I'm sorry you had to run after me in the rain," she said quietly.

He shook his head at her, confused about why she was even here. They hadn't spoken in a while. "I'm not upset about the rain, Emma. I'm upset that you ran off on me. What's going on?"

Emma didn't want to have this conversation here with the cab driver listening in, so instead, she redirected their conversation to everything and anything but Neal. They talked about school, gossip, professors, roommates, even the weather before they finally arrived back on campus.

Killian walked Emma to her dorm room, thankful to find it unoccupied. "Mary Margaret is out with her boyfriend David," Emma said as she saw Killian looking around the empty space. She grabbed towels for them out of her closet before leading Killian to sit beside her on her bed.

"Alright, Emma, we've deflect enough. What's going on?" he asked weakly as he stared down at the plush floor of her room.

Emma was quiet for a minute. She felt like such a fool, and she was embarrassed to have to explain the situation to Killian. There was a time when they were close, where they shared everything, but she had ruined it. "Neal broke up with me."

Killian's eyebrows shot up at that. He knew how strongly Emma felt about Neal, even if he personally loathed the guy. "Emma, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

She sighed and turned away, unable to meet his eye. "I pushed you away because of him, and then seeing you with that girl today, well I was so upset, which is stupid. I'm just, I'm so sorry for the way I've acted, Killian. I'm so sorry," she let out, tears threatening to escape again.

Killian reached out to grab Emma's hand, holding it tightly in his as he softly caressed it. "We all act a bit silly when we fall in love. You don't need to be sorry, Emma," he said, kindness and sincerity radiating off of him. "And," he continued, "You don't need to be upset about the girl I was with. Her name's Milah, and I had just ended _us_ when you walked in the door actually."

Emma gave him a confused look. The two looked happy when she had seen them at the coffee shop, far from a couple who had just broken up. "It didn't look like that, Killian," she said, confusion emanating from her voice.

"We weren't really emotionally attached. Just fun and adventure, Milah would always say. I just couldn't keep it up. I wanted more than that."

They sat in silence mulling over their past relationships and current situations.

"Sophomore year sucks," Emma bit out in defeat.

Killian nodded his head in agreement before tacking on, "They don't call it the Sophomore Slump for nothing."

"I was so stupid with Neal," Emma said as if reciting her new personal motto. Maybe if she said it enough, she would be able to wrap her head around it.

"Things could be worse," Killian said as he stared down at his hands, "you could be failing out of school."

Emma whipped around to face him upon hearing that. "What! What's going on?" she demanded as she stared over at him. Killian was the most responsible person she knew; there was no way he could be failing out of school.

"I just got so caught up with Milah. I've been partying too much, studying too little. I was put on academic probation after first semester. If I don't get my grades up before the year is over, I'll lose my scholarships," he said in shame before he continued in a far more pained voice. "You should have seen Liam when I told him. After all his hard work to get me here, he was so disappointed; he couldn't even look me in the eye."

Emma placed her hand gently on Killian's face, lifting his chin up so he would face her. "It's ok. We'll get through this. We both will. Tonight, right when you get back to your room, you're going to make appointments with each of your professors to talk about getting back on track. You can look over all your syllabi and make a study plan. We can start going to the library together every night. We _can_ get your grades back up," she said, confidence and determination in her tone.

Killian smiled at that, just a slight smirk from the corner of his mouth as he looked up to gaze upon her beautiful face. "You're a marvel, you know that…and, what about you?"

Emma nodded her head. Killian wasn't the only one who needed to work on his life. "Me? Well, I'm going to get over Neal. I'm going to eat a tub of ice cream, sob through the Notebook, and blast Alanis Morissette music until I feel better," she said confidently. Yes, Neal hurt her and made her question herself when it came to relationships, but she _would_ be alright.

Killian laughed and turned back to her, "Want to meet up tomorrow for lunch at the student union? We have some catching up to do."

"Yeah, that sounds great." God, she had really missed him. Why did she go after guys like Neal when she had Killian, a good guy and a wonderful friend, right in front of her the whole time? She had been so blind. She bit her lip and held the damp towel in her lap tightly for strength. The thought had been plaguing Emma all night, but she hadn't been able to voice her concern until now. "Do you think we can ever be friends again?" she asked in a nearly inaudible voice.

At that, Killian grabbed Emma gently by the shoulders and turned her to look at him, care, concern, and love written all over his face. "Emma, you're my best friend. You have been ever since that day on the bus and you always will be, no matter what."

Emma stared into his big blue eyes completely overwhelmed by the love in them. Without care, Emma leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. It surprised Killian at first, but then he leaned in and kissed her back, holding her head in his hands and pressing his tongue into her mouth. She reached up to wrap her hand into his dark, damp hair as she felt his hand slide under her shirt and start to move up her side. She moaned at the contact and pressed into the kiss more; it was all fire and passion and need- _years of need_ culminating into one fiery kiss. Before it went too far, they broke apart to catch their breaths.

Killian gave her a pained look, remembering all too well their last kiss. "We don't have to talk about this, Emma. It's ok," he said as he caressed her side reassuringly before forcing himself to pull his hand away.

Emma leaned in to rest her forehead against his, rubbing her nose affectionately against his own. "No, we will talk about this, but not today. We'll talk about it when we're both in a better place. I _want_ to talk about it, Killian," she said as she met his eyes.

Killian let out a deep breath, clearly relieved at her words, before he got up reluctantly to leave. He placed a tender kiss against her forehead and brushed a wet, golden lock out of her face before he turned to go.

"And, Killian," Emma called, stopping him as he reached the door. "That _wasn't_ a one-time thing," she said, cautious excitement in her voice.

Killian smiled back at her, giving her a sly wink. "I'll hold you to that, lass."

* * *

_**Six Years After Graduating College **_

After twenty-eight years of being an orphan, a little lost girl with no family of her own, the day had come for Emma to finally find her family, her home. Though she had been a part of the Jones family for many years now, today it would become official. Once Liam walked her down that aisle and she said her vows, she would be Mrs. Killian Jones. Sure, it was an antiquated tradition, but Emma didn't care; her entire being was alight with the idea. Hell, if she was being honest with herself, she had been looking forward to this day since she and Killian had started dating back in their junior year of college.

Emma had woken up in her hotel room early that morning to the cries and cheers from her bridesmaids. Tina, Ruby, and Mary Margaret were rushing around grabbing makeup brushes, hair pins, and other tools to turn Emma into a princess for her big day. The three of them poked and prodded at Emma for hours until her hair and makeup were perfect. The entire process had been quite the ordeal for Emma, but she let them have their fun. She was far more excited just to see Killian. Finally, after Emma had been deemed "flawless" by her friends, the three helped her into her gorgeous wedding dress.

Emma walked over to the window, gliding easily in the beautiful gown she had chosen for the day. She ached to get outside and breathe in fresh air. She felt as though she had been cooked up in that stuffy hotel room, being dolled up by her bridesmaids for far too long. Emma took in the sight of the sky where small drops had begun to fall from the gray clouds above.

Ruby joined Emma at the window and groaned "Ugh, rain. Seriously? This better not mess up your dress."

Mary Margaret smiled sweetly and placed a reassuring hand on Emma's shoulder. "Rain is supposed to be good luck on your wedding day. This is a good thing, Emma."

Emma smiled back before looking out the window again. "I don't mind the rain. Some of my best days have been rainy."


End file.
